Mail-cart.



v. Q. KOONS.

MAIL OART. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1906.

Patented June 1, 1909,

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lTlE iilTATbi VIRGIL C. KOONS, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNORTO CONTINENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLORADO SPRING-S, COLORADO, ACORPORATION OF COLORADO.

MAIL-CART.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vmeir. C. KooNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Carts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to that class of vehicles used fortransporting substantially small objects such as mail and expressmatter, and the embodiment of my invention described in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is confinedparticularly to what may be termed a mail cart or vehicle fortransporting mail or parcels from place to place.

Similar numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts on thedrawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofthe vehicle; Fig. 2 a rear elevation of the same and 8 a detailillustrating the method of attaching the cross bar.

In the drawings 1 is a main axle carrying at its end wheels 2. At eachouter end of the main axle 1 straps 3 support elliptical side springs 4.To the main axle 1 at each end are straps 5 attaching to the axle a pairof thills 6. Straps '7 secure the side springs 4 to the side bars 8 oneach side of the vehicle, the side bars being pivoted at their innerends to the thills 6 by means of bolts 9. A cross bar 10 extends betweenand is attached to the thills 6. Hinged or pivoted to the cross bar 10at 11 is a platform 12. The platform 12 has curved supports 13 which maybe of iron or other suitable material and these supports carry platformboards 14 which may be strengthened by angle irons 15 (Fig. 2). Theplatform 12 is provided with a suitable step 16 and a seat for thedriver 17, the seat being attached to the platform 12 by any appropriatemeans, as for example, an iron support 18. A. receptacle or mail box 19is secured to the side bars and has two parts 20 and 21 securedtogether. The upper part 20 is particularly adapted for the reception ofmail matter or parcels, while the lower part 21 is adapted to thestorage of such accessories as storm clothing, horse feed, etc. The part20 is provided with a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 21, 1906.

Patented. June 1, 1909.

Serial No. 322,705.

hinged cover 22 which is adapted to be fas tened in an open position bymeans of a thumb screw 23. Passing around the bottom of the portion 20and securely bolted thereto are braces 24 which are provided withextensions 25, adapted to hook over the side bars 8 on each side of thevehicle, thus forming a solid foundation for the mail box as well as afirm brace for the entire box structure. It is also evident that by thismethod of supporting the box 19 it is firmly held in place and yetreadily removable from the vehicle.

The platform 12 pivotally secured at the front of the cross bar 10extends beneath the receptacle or box 19 to the rear and is supported bycoil springs 26 which are secured at 27 to the top of the ellipticalside springs 4 and at 28 to the platform 12. It will be observed thatthe box or receptacle is thus suspended in front of the axle while thecurved platform extends to the rear of the axle and is supported at anearly central point but somewhat to the rear of the axle.

The vehicle may be provided with a suitable top as shown, for example,at 29, the top being supported by uprights 30, fastened, for example, bythumb nuts 31 to the frame of the vehicle.

It will be seen from the present description that my invention may beembodied in an exceedingly light, strong and compact structure and onemoreover that is particularly adapted for transporting mail or parcels.Among some of the many advantages of this invention may be mentioned theready accessibility of the various parts, and the firm althoughremovable supporting means for the material to be carried. Furthermore,by reason of the fact that the cross bars 8 are hinged at one end to thethills and rest upon the side springs 1 and the coiled springs 26 arehinged to the platform 12 and also to the top of side springs 4, it isevident that both the material transported and the driver aresubstantially free from sudden jars or jolts owing to the action of thedouble sets of springs. It is further evident that by this manner ofmounting the platform 12 no matter what the weight of the load in thebox may be, it will not affect the position of the platform 12 uponwhich the carrier or driver stands, which would be the case if box andplatform were built together and hung on coiled springs as is usuallythe case. Further more, I achieve a distinct function by the manner ofplacing the coiled springs 26. At the point where the coiled springs arefastened to the side-springs there is but slight motion, and the same istrue of the point where these coiled springs are fastened to theplatform. Those points are the center from which the horse-motion isdistributed. The side-springs, then, perform their usual function inyielding to obstructions and taking care of vertical shocks. The coiledsprings, placed as they are, absorb the ree ing motion which wouldotherwise be imparted by the movement of the horse to the side-springsand the platform. In other words, I have placed these springs so thatthey act as cushions for the rocking horsemotion and absorb that motion.

Having now described my invention what I desire to claim and to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with a cross-bar, side-springs andthills, of sidebars pivoted to the thills and borne by the side-springs,a receptacle carried by the sidebars, and a platform suspended from thecross-bar and the side-springs.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with side bars, a cross-bar andside-springs, of a receptacle removably secured to the side-bars and aplatform beneath the receptacle and swung from the cross-bar and thesidesprings.

3. In a vehicle the combination with sidebars, a cross-bar andsidesprings, of a receptacle secured substantially at its middle to theside-bars, a curved platform pivoted to the cross-bar at the frontextending beneath the receptacle, and spring-suspended at the rear.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with sidesprings, a cross-bar, andside-bars, of a receptacle carried by the side bars in front of theaxle, and a platform or body extending beneath the receptacle and to therear and suspended from a nearly central point by springs.

5. In a vehicle provided with an axle, side springs, thills and a crossbar connecting the thills, the combination of a platform hinged at itsforward end to the cross bar, side bars attached to the thills and sidesprings, a receptacle supported by the sidebars and resilient supportsfor the rear end of the platform.

6. In a vehicle provided with an axle, side springs, thills and a crossbar connecting the thills the combination of a platform hinged at itsforward end to the cross bar, side bars attached to the thills and sidesprings, a re ceptacle supported by the side-bars and resilient supportsfor the rear end of the platform, the supports being connected to theplatform and also to the side springs.

7. In a vehicle provided with thills, an axle, and side springssupported on the axle the combination of side bars hinged to the thillsand supported on the side springs a receptacle supported by the sidebars, a platform hinged at its forward end to the Vehicle and springsconnecting the platform with the tops of the side springs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,v

in presence of two witnesses.

VIRGIL O. KOONS. Witnesses:

WALTER F. RoeERs, DORINDA E. ROGERS.

